If your wallet is feeling light, but the thought of scraping plates at the dining hall for minimum wage is less than appealing, fear not! There are easy ways you can make some extra cash (that aren’t total flukes)!
1) Some academic departments, such as Economics and Psychology, conduct research and experiments and are always looking for student participants. The best part? Many of them will pay you to participate, up to (and sometimes exceeding) $10/hr. For just 2 hours of your time, you’ll be helping someone out and making $20, win-win!
2) So you’ve purchased a new iPod and don’t know what to do with your old one? Sell it! Many big name stores (Best Buy & Target, for example) have electronics trade-in programs. You can even get an estimate on how much you can get paid for your electronics right on their websites. Turn your old stuff from trash into cash!
3) We’ve all got that things lying around that we don’t know what to do with, but we don’t want to throw it out. Have an online yard sale of sorts and see if anything is worth trying to sell on Craigslist. You might even be able to find someone in the UMass community who is looking to buy.
4) If you’re crafty, turn your hobby into a business by selling your products on Etsy. Artwork, accessories, vintage items, handmade crafts, and more can be sold on the website.
5) If you’re looking for a steadier source of income but with a flexible schedule, consider finding off-campus babysitting jobs or becoming a tutor. What’s great about these options is it’s easy to find something that fits your schedule and needs. Tutoring is a great way to not only make money but will also really help someone out (and will look great on a resume!). If babysitting is the route you’re looking to take, check out Care.com, which will connect you with people in the area who are looking for after-school or date night sitters.
6) Did you know you can get paid to watch TV? Yes, you read that right. The app Viggle lets your phone recognize and “check in” to TV shows you are watching. You get points for every minute you watch, and the points can be redeemed for gift cards for places like Starbucks, Sephora, Old Navy, and Best Buy. It takes some time to accumulate enough points to earn a gift card, but how cool is it to be rewarded for watching your favorite shows?! Using the same kind of reward system, apps like Checkpoints and Shopkick reward you when you “check-in” to stores you are shopping in. Being paid to shop… dream come true!
7) This may sound silly, but keep a piggy bank! A nickel may not seem like much, but money accumulates faster than you think. I’ve been saving my change for about 5 months and have almost $50 worth of coins already. You can redeem your coins for cash at Coinstar machines located in many local grocery stores. A fee will be taken from your total if you want cash, but most Coinstar machines have the option of trading in your coins for a gift card at full value. With gift cards available for Amazon, Chili’s, iTunes, Starbucks, and more, I am definitely a fan of this option.
Good luck with the saving, collegiettes!